Tony D’Alberto will be backed by Honda Australia in the forthcoming inaugural TCR Australia series, with both of the Wall Racing Honda Civics featuring a Honda-inspired livery.
D’Alberto will race with team-mate John Martin in the Civic Type R cars, with D’Alberto sporting the number 50 in a nod to Honda’s 50th year in Australia in 2019.
The team took to the track for the first time at Winton Motor Speedway today (Monday 6 May) as part of a general test session ahead of the first round of the series next weekend (17 – 19 May).
“It’s great to have the support of Honda Australia for the 2019 TCR Australia Series,” said D’Alberto.
“I’ve known the team at Honda for a while now, working with them on new car launches across the country. So when the opportunity came up to drive a Honda in TCR, I jumped at the chance.
“The category’s cost effective nature and market relevance gives them a platform to showcase one of their hero cars – the Civic Type R – in front of a big audience and in a competitive field.
“I think my Honda Civic looks terrific. It has that classic Honda feel and I know that all of the Honda staff and the dealers will be cheering for us at each TCR round.
“I’ve driven a lot of GT cars and Supercars, and these front-wheel drive cars are so rewarding when you get it right. The racing is going to be really close so I can’t wait to see how we go amongst the competitive field in the first round at Sydney.”
Robert Torp, General Manager of Product, Customer and Communications at Honda Australia, is looking forward to Honda supporting Wall Racing through a customer relationship.
“We know what a special car we have in the Civic Type R,” said Thorp. “While this is a new series in Australia, the Honda performs well in the category at a global level.
“For us this is a category all about customer racing and we are supportive of that – Tony is a very accomplished driver and someone we are really happy to see take the helm of the Civic Type R in this new series.
“We’re looking forward to the series kicking off and seeing Tony and the team put the car through its paces.”